A member of East Kilbride Golf Club for about 25 years, Steven Lannon opened PGP Golf Studio in January after he and his partner identified an opportunity for an indoor venue that offered more than a conventional driving range or simulator experience.
Located in a unit at Coles Park, the near-2,000sq ft facility has attracted a mix of committed club golfers and newer players. PGP has already reached operational break-even through memberships and casual bookings, according to Mr Lannon, who sees scope to develop further sites.
(Image: Damian Shields)
Why did you decide to build your own golf studio?
My day job is running a geospatial surveying business, Precision Utility Mapping, which I own with my partner, but golf has always been my passion.
The idea for PGP came about last summer when I was preparing for our club championship. I was looking for somewhere to practise and couldn’t find the sort of indoor facility I wanted to use. That got me wondering why there weren’t more options like that in central Scotland. Over the following weeks we looked for suitable premises, found a unit in Coles Park and eventually opened PGP Golf Studio in January this year.
There are plenty of new and existing simulator venues out there – what sets PGP apart?
We deliberately wanted to create more than a simulator venue. There are plenty of places where you can go and hit balls on a simulator, but we felt there was a gap in the market for a golf performance centre.
Alongside the simulator bays we’ve got a gym, putting areas and a warm-up net. Golfers are becoming much more interested in strength, conditioning and flexibility, so we wanted to cater for that side of the game as well. Our focus is on helping people improve rather than simply giving them somewhere to play virtual golf for an hour.
Who are your customers?
We’ve attracted a wider range of golfers than I expected. Initially I thought it would mainly appeal to committed golfers who wanted to work on their games, but we’ve seen people from all handicap levels coming through the door.
Memberships range from £55 to £199 per month, with different levels of simulator access. Every membership includes unlimited use of the gym and putting facilities. We also offer casual bookings at £30 per hour, regardless of whether that’s one golfer or a group of friends sharing the bay.
How has the business performed so far?
The response since opening has been very encouraging. January, February and March were particularly busy, which isn’t surprising given the Scottish weather. Things have naturally eased a little during the summer as people get back out onto the golf course, but we’ve been pleased with how the business has developed.
We have around two dozen members and, combined with casual bookings, we’re effectively operating at break-even already, albeit with investment costs still to repay.
‘Golfers are becoming much more interested in strength, conditioning and flexibility’ (Image: Supplied)
At the moment the facility has no staff – is that the plan for the foreseeable future?
Coaching is probably the biggest opportunity because it’s something customers ask about all the time. People often assume I’m a golf coach, but I’m not. I’m just a very enthusiastic golfer who enjoys trying to improve.
We’re planning to bring in a golf coach and a club-fitting specialist in the near future, and we’re also looking at possibly introducing golf-specific personal trainers who can work from the facility. Longer-term, I’d like to create employment opportunities and build a small team around those services. We’re also interested in supporting developing golfers through initiatives involving juniors and women’s golf.
And from there, where might you go next?
The long-term ambition is to open additional sites. The simulator market is becoming increasingly competitive, so it’s important that we continue to differentiate ourselves through the performance-centre concept.
Rather than focusing solely on simulator golf, we want to create an environment where golfers can improve every aspect of their game. If we can continue building that reputation and eventually replicate the model elsewhere, that would be a real success for us.
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(Image: Damian Shields)